Beach Time
by Raggazzed12
Summary: *Zutara fic* Katara goes to the beach with Zuko. Fluffiness ensues. (Written for my bestie. Not my normal shipping or preferred one, but it's my best friend I can't let her down, especially on her b-day.)


**A/N: Before I begin, I need to explain why this has happened. Normally, I do not write Zutara as a rule of thumb. But now I am subject to doing so with this one fic. All because of the bestest bestie (friend) I have ever had and know and love and am doing this for her birthday, Isha, I'm looking at you! So yeah, I am publishing this on my bestie's birthday, and to Isha, you are the greatest friend ever and here is your lovely little fluffy Zutara fic all ready to be read by you (and others included)! Now onto the story!**

Everything was packed and ready for a day out. Katara was tempted to laugh when she thought of all the preparation that had gone into this day, but she was quickly stopped by the realization that Zuko still wasn't awake. The man slept like a log and some days she was convinced he would never wake up. Chuckling to herself, she skipped into the bedroom from the small kitchen and shook him by the shoulders.

The mess of dark hair and bleary eyes opened as the Firelord stared up at his wife, a small grin on his lips.

"You are late, and you promised me you wouldn't be so yesterday when we planned this." A smug smile crossed Katara's face. She loved teasing him.

"Well I had a long, exhausting day yesterday." His pouting expression passed over his face quickly as she leaned down and pecked him on the lips.

"Come along already, get on some decent clothes."

She could tell Zuko sadly obliged as he stood up to get dressed, and the Waterbender skipped once more out of the room, going to get a few little things including two water canteens. Everything else was packed, and Katara sighed in content as she carried out the bag full of food, and sat on the porch step. It was their first summer as a married couple and it had been wonderful so far. Zuko had fixed up his old summer beach house over the winter and promised her they would go there during the summer, even when he had business to take care of. The place held several memories as well, and Katara thought about the first time she'd been to Ember Island.

At that time, though, they had been in the gang with the Avatar. Aang's smiling face crossed her mind and she painfully pushed it away. Despite all that had happened between them, she was happy to be with Zuko. The trees waved in the light breeze as she stared out at the courtyard in content. Zuko was due out any moment, the Firelord always made sure to be presentable. She always laughed at him, but he would grab her and kiss her to make up for the laughter. They had been here in the beach house for a little over a month but now Zuko was finally giving himself a free day.

The man came out of the house soon, dressed in simple robes and a small smile on his face as Katara stood up to meet him, her arm in his. They made their way out of the perimeters of the house and soon were at the beach, where quite a few Fire Nation families already were despite how early it was. A smile came onto her face as she saw the perfect spot on the beach and dragged him by the arm over to it, laughing at his expression.

"Stop being so needy all the time. Come on, follow me." She said to him as they moved over to a remote spot and she pushed him down into the sand so that she could join him at the area immediately after.

"You really do enjoy being condescending to me, don't you?" He shook his head as he gazed at her, the same tiny smile lifting up the right side of his face.

"Maybe." Shrugging, Katara wrapped an arm around him and turned her face to look out at the waves. The water was the best part of being here, or so she was convinced. Zuko himself wasn't too keen on it, but he obliged to being put through this torture as long as she was the one doing it to him, with water and all.

They sat silently for a few moments, just gazing out at the sea as it rolled by and watching kids laugh and play in the sand, chasing each other about. It was a peace only known to those who spent their time doing such things, and as Katara enjoyed this, she often did. Her husband was a different matter, but she ignored this and dragged him out to it anyways. Here no one commented on how the Firelord was there, because no one usually cared. Katara knew she'd see people point and comment but most respected their privacy and no one walked up and annoyed either of them, or at least she hoped no one would.

"You really do know how to pack food, don't you?" Zuko was gazing at the bag in her hands, where everything was neatly boxed and packed and stacked together so that it gave the appearance of not much in there at all.

"Well with you around, I have time to work on things like that."

"You just say that to make me feel better." He playfully nudged her in the stomach. Katara leaned in and kissed him again.

Once out of it and returned to the same position they had been in before, it wasn't long before Zuko complained that he was hungry. Teasingly, she got out the food as slowly as possible. The Firelord grumbled a bit more and she shook her head, but eventually they were eating on a blanket that she'd packed. The sun was really quite bright that day, making it rather unbearable hot at one point in which the Waterbender took off her robes and relaxed in her swimwear. As much as she enjoyed being with Zuko, she was also happy to be outside.

"You're the only one grateful for the sun, love."

"And you're the only one on this whole beach trying to get away from it by hiding underneath me." Katara laughed. It was the truth, Zuko was hiding behind her in as much of an attempt as possible to get away from the brightness of the sun.

"Well I don't like it and you know that." He murmured in her ear.

Laying her head on his bare chest-as Zuko too had been forced to shed his robes-Katara sighed in relief and closed her eyes. Zuko had his arms around her and his head on top of hers, and they sat there for what felt like a wonderful forever as Katara felt her body finally relax. There wasn't ever a good chance of him getting a good relaxation time even during these months, so they were enjoying it to the fullest.

After such a long time of just sitting and feeling relaxed, they both decided to get up and Katara dragged Zuko into the water, laughing as he mockingly splashed towards her only to be pushed down by a wave she created at the right moment. The dark-haired man came up sputtering with a very thin smile on his face, giving a look at her. Katara bent over laughing at his sopping wet form.

Suddenly, before she could react , he came at her with a growl and pushed her down under. It was a moment or two as she tried to get up but failed due to his hand on her head. Once up, she pushed him over again and ran back to shore through the water, parting it for her feet and causing it to rush all over Zuko who had just been getting up. Reaching for the shore she narrowly avoided his grasp and ran back up the sand to their little spot, grinning widely as he came trudging up with a smirk on his face, arms hanging limply at his side.

The Firelord was soon lying sprawled out next to her and Katara shoved a towel at him. Zuko only threw it over himself and lay there not paying any attention to her as she tried to get his attention, but gave up eventually.

The beach was a new experience for Katara and him. Usually it wasn't a place Zuko preferred to go and therefore she hadn't tried and dragged him there. Now as they sat staring out at the bright blueness of the ocean and the afternoon sun, both felt a peace and calm that hadn't been there before. Something that Katara knew she would hold onto for the rest of her life and always try to regain. A feeling of love and duty towards all around them, the feeling she knew Zuko had all the time and she only had experienced on previous journeys. Yet now that feeling was at a settled calm where thoughts were not to be expressed out loud. The thoughts were only meant to be expressed in glances, facial expressions, and in Katara's calm mind where they would always stay.

 **A/N: Whew! Well it was just a little bit of fluff for my bestie as I said, and I hoped you enjoyed that, Isha. I hoped everyone else who reads this enjoyed it to! A little quick but I promise I did my best on this thing and I hope it satisfies many! Thank you for reading, and please, review, review, review!**


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